The model of the three EGTC GO municipalities united in one cross-border city was presented at the international conference ‘Southeast Europe and Cross-Border Cooperation: Challenges and Perspectives’ held in Thessaloniki (Greece) on 3 and 4 April. The event, organised by three Greek EGTCs ‘Ampictyony’, ‘Helicas’ and ‘Efxini Poli’, brought together representatives of European institutions, ministries, universities and territorial cooperation bodies from all over South East Europe.

Unlike many cross-border experiences involving rural areas or larger regions, the case of Gorizia-Nova Gorica-Šempeter Vrtojba stands out in the European landscape as one of the few examples of an integrated cross-border area. EGTC GO director Romina Kocina, who was invited as a speaker to the session ‘Discovering the European Experiences’, presented the unique experience of the cross-border city between Gorizia, Nova Gorica and Šempeter-Vrtojba. Her speech, entitled ‘Forms of Governance of Cross-border Urban Areas. The case of Gorizia-Nova Gorica' (Forms of Governance of Cross-border Urban Areas. The case of Gorizia-Nova Gorica) explained how, through the EGTC, three municipalities belonging to two states have created a single cross-border conurbation, constantly trying to overcome administrative and regulatory obstacles - which are still strongly present and shared among European EGTCs - and promoting common governance.  

The EGTC GO, established in 2011, acts as a supra-municipal governing body with its own assembly, thematic committees and permanent operational structure. This configuration enables the cross-border body not only to plan, but also to directly manage and implement concrete actions in areas such as health, culture, urban planning, energy and mobility. An emblematic example is the European Capital of Culture GO! 2025, as well as the Europe/Transalpina Square redevelopment project. These projects were launched thanks to a strong shared will of the two municipalities Gorizia and Nova Gorica, which identified EGTC GO as the appropriate common tool to implement and carry out strategic initiatives. Another distinctive element is the use of integrated financial instruments, such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and the Small Project Fund, which made it possible to involve also small local associations and subjects normally excluded from large European calls for proposals. ‘Our experience shows that it is possible to transform the border into an opportunity for shared development, to the benefit of local communities on both sides,’ said Romina Kocina and added, ’but fundamental, and I emphasised this during the conference, is the willingness of the municipalities to share objectives and strategies, without which cross-border territorial development would not be possible. 

Participation in Thessaloniki is an important recognition of the work carried out by the EGTC GO in dialogue with local authorities and an opportunity to strengthen the comparison with other experiences of territorial cooperation in south-eastern Europe.